The storm pummeling much of B.C. incapacitated part of the ferry system and coated major highway passes and northern areas of the province in a heap of fresh snow.

Power has been restored to more than 140,000 homes after a nasty overnight windstorm moved across the South Coast, leaving fallen trees and sagging power lines scattered across the region.

A severe storm in the Black Sea region caused widespread damage, power outages affecting over 500,000 people, and disrupted services across southern Russia, Ukraine, and Crimea. The storms were part of a weather system that created blizzard-like conditions in Romania, Moldova, Bulgaria and Serbia on Sunday, dumping snow and causing power outages and fatal traffic accidents.

A tornado watch was issued around 5:30 p.m. and rescinded less than an hour later, but the storm caused considerable damage on the University of British Columbia campus. The school is located on a peninsula not far from the airport.

Since 7 a.m. on Monday, crews in Vancouver responded to reports of flooding in 46 locations. Average annual cost of property damage or losses due to severe weather has increased from about $400 million before 2009 to about $2 billion annually in the last few years.